We’ve owned Splendido for 15 seasons now, and I never tire of sailing her to take in all the beauty that is Lake Tahoe. Even on days where there’s little to no wind (which are actually pretty rare at Lake Tahoe), it’s amazing to just be out on her lapis lazuli-colored waters, which you can really get a sense of from this video. Special shout-outs to @fredmcelroy1908 for hooking me up with our beautiful boat back in the day and to @wakealmanor and Zack Sizemore for dropping by to say hi and capturing this gorgeous drone footage.
High pressure is back this week and it doesn’t look like there will be much sailing until next Tuesday, so I’ll be getting things organized for the inevitable haul-out come October. It’s always a bittersweet time of year for me, so I do my best to rally and squeeze every drop of sailing out of the season that I can, or, barring that, getting after related boat projects I’ve put off all summer. Today, I’m off to freshen up the paint on the frame for Splendido’s winter cover and do a bit of maintenance on her trailer as well. More when it happens… until then,
Debbie and I went up to Tahoe yesterday to re-install the genoa I had re-sewn, then we headed south to Sugar Pine State Park for the first swim of the season. It was an almost windless day, so we had to motor, but the views were spectacular and the lake was pretty quiet, which is the norm mid-week, even in summer. Once we got down to Sugar Pine, we threw down the hook in front of the Boatman’s Cottage in 11 ft. of water and before I knew it, Debbie dove right in to the crystal-clear water, and popped up with quite the surprised look on her face, then let out a whoo! you hear so often at Tahoe. I flopped off the back of the boat to join her, and we both swam around until we got used to the water temp, which I would guess was in the high 60s. Afterwards, we lounged in the shade and relaxed as kayakers and ducks paddled by. Around 5 o’clock a little breeze came up, so we headed back, cruising along the south coast of McKinney Bay, where we saw our pal Mike Levin’s lovely Catalina 28, Sailing on Sunshine on the hook, and then past Chambers Landing, where vacationers were enjoying drinks on the deck. Back on our mooring ball, we buttoned up the boat and drove over to Whitecaps Pizza in Kings Beach for their delicious pesto pizza and beers, listening to the bartender regale a handful of tipsy patrons with tales of the Tahoe ski patroller’s lifestyle. We munched away on our pizza as the gathering of funhogs traded stories about torn menisci, ACL surgeries and stem-cell injections in Ensenada that produced miraculous recoveries. We settled up and then headed off in the pitch darkness up the hill and down into the valley and the pretty city lights of Reno. “Better late than never” was the phrase that kept coming into my mind as I reflected on this unusual sailing season. We’ll be back for more exploring, boat camping, swimming and the sweet smell of the pines as we do our best to wring everything we can out of summer at Lake Tahoe. Until then,
I went out for a singlehanded sail last Monday; winds were light at 8-17 kts and the temperature was downright balmy. I saw six or seven sailboats out, which made me smile. I’m glad things have settled down a bit after the ups and downs in the weather of the past few weeks.
I have to admit, I was pretty shook up by the tragic white squall that hit Tahoe on June 21, and it cast quite the pall on sailing for me for a few weeks. So, I turned my shock into action and got busy checking all the safety gear aboard Splendido. I checked the CO2 cartridges in all six of our Type V (inflatable) PFDs, then made sure all of our Type II PFDs (the bulkier orange kind) were in easy reach. I also checked the expiration dates of the flares, checked the air horn, both fire extinguishers, and refreshed my knowledge of using the VHF radio in an emergency. Folks who’ve sailed with me know I ask everyone to wear inflatable PFDs while on board. It’s a habit I’ve had since childhood, when a neighbor down the beach from our home on Fidalgo Island in Washington’s San Juan Islands tragically drowned one morning when he was out checking crab pots just 50 yards off shore. Now, it’s not clear whether the eight folks who drowned at Tahoe on July 21 were wearing PFDs, but we do know the two survivors had PFDs (one was wearing one, the other was clinging to one when rescued). As a skipper, knowing everyone aboard is wearing a PFD gives me one less thing to worry about so I can relax and enjoy the time on the water.
Because we sail Splendido on California waters (Tahoe is about 1/3 in Nevada and 2/3 in California), I’m now required to carry a California Boater Card. It’s a new rule for skippers of any boat with a motor in it as of January 1, 2025. I found a free U.S. Boat course online, and it was a really great refresher on boating safety. I already have my American Sailing Association 101 through 104 certifications, but I was surprised at how much I learned by taking this course. One thing that blew me away was learning that more hunters drown from falling overboard each year than die from getting accidentally shot. The course took me about five hours to complete, but I got my card and I’m legit now. To celebrate, I went out for an afternoon sail and had the whole gorgeous lake to myself.
Back on the hook, I turned my attention to taking care of the interior woodwork, which tends to dry out in our low-humidity, high-altitude sailing area. I think it turned out pretty well. I can’t make our 32-year-old boat new again, but I can make her as beautiful as elbow grease allows. 🙂
While the weather was sorting itself out in late June and early July, Debbie and I took the opportunity to do some hiking in the Sierra Nevada. We did some training hikes on the Jones Creek Loop trail south of Reno, then had a picnic hike on Whites Creek – Dry Pond trail, which is just lovely this time of year.
The forecast is for perfect sailing conditions for the next week after today’s blustery winds settle down, so that’s what we’re aiming for — quality time on the water of our beloved Lake Tahoe.
It’s taken me more than a decade to realize that living with a “good old boat” might have a lot of similarities to giving birth. Few can imagine the effort you have to go through to get her launched, but most folks can appreciate the magic and magnificence that happens when the pain subsides and the pleasure begins. 🙂
This year marks our 15th year of owning our lovely sailboat, Splendido, and it seems we were as busy over the winter fixing things as we’ve ever been. My sailing pal Ancil Sigman likes to joke that all she needs is a new gas cap and she’s a brand-new boat. 🙂 In a nutshell, we:
1) Disassembled, installed a complete rebuild service kit, and reassembled the Hurth transmission
2) Replaced all four motor mounts
3) Repacked the stuffing box
4) Dropped the rudder, cleaned the shaft and installed new rudder washers
5) Replaced the glow plugs and fixed the electrical wiring so the plugs actually warm up — now it starts like it should!
6) Re-wired and grounded the alternator properly with the help of AI and now everything works as it should — including the tachometer and battery warning light on the panel.
I learned so much working with Ancil over the winter. The man is mechanically gifted, to say the least. However, he’s not the best weather forecaster. Three storms ago he told me spring was sprung and we wouldn’t be seeing any more nasty weather. 😀
Launch day went very smoothly, although I tell my wife Debbie that owning a sailboat around here is like having an erector set (that was a toy kit back when we were kids where you could build things out of various parts, which they still make today) that you pull out in the spring and in the fall. First, you launch the hull and check for leaks. Then, you step the mast. Then, you attach and tune all the shrouds and stays. Then, you install cotter rings on everything, and then you put rigging tape over all those. Then, you have to wipe down the boat inside and out, as the pitter patter of everyone’s feet leaves your ordinarily white decks a hazy shade of gray. C’est la vie.
Here it is, June 1 already, and I, unfortunately, have not been able to sail yet. I spent the better part of a day trying to adjust the stuffing box I’d recently repacked, and didn’t quite nail it. You’re supposed to get 2-3 drops of water per minute when the drive shaft is turning, but I either got a lot more than that or nothing at all, which is not what you want. (No drips means it’s probably adjusted too tightly, so it’ll heat up and possibly score the drive shaft.) It’s a dicey thing, though: Who even wants one drip of water in their boat when it’s under way? 🙂
As I was playing with the stuffing-box adjustment, suddenly water started spurting out of the back end of the heat exchanger. A little investigating revealed that the back-end boot from the heat exchanger tube had developed a crack, so I phoned Trans Atlantic Diesel and ordered up a new boot. It should arrive this week. In the meantime, I’ve got all the little things taken care of around the boat, so she’s technically ready to sail right now.
The good news is, the lake level is high, the Tahoe parks folks have done a great job of cleaning up the detritus where I keep my dinghy, and the smell of the pines and the lovely breeze beckons me to get out on the water. More when it happens — until then,
Debbie and I had one goal this sailing season, and that was to try to relax and enjoy our new-found leisure time after I stepped away from my long advertising career at the end of January. We were excited to see how we could go from being the typical “weekend warrior”-type sailors we’d been for the past 14 years to any-day-of-the week yachties able to get far from the madding crowds as much as possible. We discovered, to our delight, how empty Lake Tahoe is in the summer Mondays through Thursdays (apart from July 4th and Labor Day weeks, of course). When you’re out on the water midweek, you really do feel like you have the whole place to yourselves.
Nevertheless, we did find time to socialize a bit, whether at Chambers Landing, where they’re really stepped up their game of late with new management, or happily running into our nephew Dusty Cady as he was in the midst of a stand-up paddleboard circumnavigation (yes, 72 miles of paddling and camping out over five days). In early summer, our friends Fred and Alice at Big Blue Tahoe Yacht Club threw a backyard party with delicious paella, where we reconnected with Brady Trautman and met Alex Blue and Sharky of SV Delos and Cruisers Academy fame. When the weather warmed up, my sailing pals Ancil Sigman of La Crapaud and John Turner of Grand Cru invited me out to enjoy a relaxing day floating, eating and swimming off Baldwin Beach, followed by a tour of majestic Emerald Bay, which I hadn’t visited in a long while.
While nothing catastrophic happened (thank you, universe) other than someone stealing our buoy tags, we did have some lively moments, like when the sail slides on the mast all blew out right after I’d hoisted the main. In an instant, our mainsail turned into a wildly flapping spinnaker. Fortunately, I was able to pull it down quickly and continued sailing under genoa alone up to Tahoe City Marina, where you could not buy — at any price — a damn sail slide. (I now have enough backup sail slides to take care of two future blow-outs, thanks to our friends at Sailrite.) Oddly enough, a week later, that very same failure happened to John Turner aboard Grand Cru. The lesson here is that things age quickly at Lake Tahoe’s 6,225-ft. elevation, especially plastic sail slides. Back in my garage, it took me about four hours to sew on the new sail slides and shackles (another interesting lesson: I thought sail slides all just attached via snaps or screws, but half of the sail slides on my main had to be laboriously hand-sewn on. That would be quite the PITA if you had to do it aboard a pitching sailboat at sea).
One highlight of the season for me was to catch my first ride on Terry Wasik’s legendary Cheeseburger in Paradise, a 41-ft. Hunter sailing out of Obexer’s Marina. Last season, Terry had hauled Cheeseburger to the coast and sailed down to Mexico in the Baja Haha flotilla. I am deeply appreciative of having the opportunity to spend a lovely day of fine sailing aboard this gorgeous vessel with a crew of 5 or 6 guests while (appropriately enough) Jimmy Buffet serenaded us. Thanks, Terry!
While our good old boat only has about 700 hours on her 18 hp diesel, one day, I heard a grinding noise down below and discovered that the crankshaft was turning while the engine was turned off and in neutral, which was a real head-scratcher for me. Ancil theorized that the clutch plates had warped over the years and were causing the shaft to turn, which is not optimal. At the end of the season, we removed the drive shaft, pulled the transmission out, got it cleaned up and now plan to install a service kit to get things working properly again. I’m also thinking about replacing the worn engine mounts, which is kind of a big deal, but that should reduce engine noise and vibration as well. I’ve also got to drop the rudder and mount a new rudder bushing which I accidentally discovered while diving the hull in August. What do we live for, hey? 🙂
Alas, the season is so short at Tahoe, and before I knew it, it was time to bring Splendido down to Reno and put her away for the winter. I built a proper frame for her new-to-me winter cover, so I’m really grateful to be able work on her out of the weather this winter (and staying pretty warm when the sun’s out) while she’s on the hard. Next season will be here before we know it. Until then…
Meeks and Rubicon bays at Lake Tahoe offer some of the most exciting sailing, in my experience, and this summer has been no exception. This clip shows Splendido sailing close to the wind in 17-21 knots on an 84º F. afternoon about a week ago. I’d gone out for a fun afternoon of single-handed sailing as Debbie had some business to take care of in town, and then I decided to boat camp after this heart-pounding reach south toward Rubicon Bay.
Our sailing pals Ancil and Tina aboard La Crapaud showed up right before dark, so we hung out for a bit chatting and enjoying drinks while their dinner cooked in the oven and the visitors on the beaches slowly packed up their stuff and headed home. Splendido was anchored in about 11 ft. of water near shore and I slept pretty well, getting up a couple of times during the night just to watch the brilliant stars and Milky Way overhead. Looking at the heavens in this majestic place always makes me think of the romantic poets and the idea of the sublime, as in William Wordsworth’s “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” (1798):
—Once again Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, That on a wild secluded scene impress Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect The landscape with the quiet of the sky.
I planned to go boat camping again yesterday with my buddy Jamie, but then I noticed this weather forecast with gusts to 35 mph, which is not what you want to see at Lake Tahoe. Violent gusts like that can literally knock down a 27-ft. sailboat like ours, which is no fun for anyone.
So, instead, Jamie and I opted to hike the 2.25 mi. Hunter Creek trail up to the waterfall, and it reminded me once again what a gorgeous place we live in and how fortunate we are to be able to get out and enjoy it. It’s a moderate hike with a steady 1,200 ft. elevation gain. I was amazed to see the variety of people, from little kids and their parents to college students to seniors out enjoying the canyon. If you go, start early, wear your hat and sunscreen, and bring lots of water, as much of the hike is on an exposed single-track on the west side of the canyon where you’re in bright sunlight for nearly two miles of the hike.
Looking forward to more adventures before fall comes around. Until then …
Nope, I’m not talking about the summer crowds at Tahoe (although they can be a little crazy at times, too). Not long after I visited with sailor Andy Schwenk at the 2024 Santa Cruz 27 National Championship races out of Tahoe Yacht Club, they held the long distance “Trans-Tahoe Regatta” — and a summer squall with 50-knot gusts blew up. This snapshot from a video by South Lake Tahoe Windjammers Yacht Club rear commodore Sam Corso sums it up: Lake Tahoe can be a moody mistress when she sets her mind to it.
This is certainly the exception to the rule. With recent high pressure (and high temperatures) over the Sierra Nevada, it’s been either flat or mostly 15-17 knot breezes and pleasant sailing, with gorgeous cumulonimbus clouds piling up in the afternoons off toward the east over the valleys of western Nevada. I was single-handing this past Monday when I heard a shout from my old friend Zack Sisemore of Wake Almanor luxury surf charter, who texted me some pics he’s taken as I cruised along just enjoying the day. It’s a wonderful thing to feel a connection with the friends we’ve made out on the water over the years… the community is small but supportive, and I’m here for it.
I got a note from my high school pal Pam last week that her brother, sailing legend Andy Schwenk, was going to be joining Rick Raduziner — owner of the Santa Cruz 27, Lickety Split — to compete in the 2024 Santa Cruz 27 National Championships at Lake Tahoe July 12-14. Andy was a couple of years behind me in high school in Anacortes, WA and I had the good fortune to sail with him and his dad, Dr. Walter Schwenk, aboard the iconic Santa Cruz 33, Ajax, back in the day.
Andy’s been afloat pretty much his whole life, and has chalked up 54 trips across the Pacific to Hawaii and back while racing in the Victoria to Maui, Transpac and Pacific Cup competitions. Professionally, Andy is a marine surveyor, rigging expert, delivery skipper and Port Captain of the Richmond Yacht Club in the Bay Area. Andy made headlines a few years ago when he developed necrotizing fasciitis from a minor ankle scrape after the 2022 Pacific Cup race. A few days into the return voyage, Andy had to be transfered to a passing tanker and later airlifted to the mainland, where he spent a month at Stanford hospital while a team of physicians worked to save his leg.
I drove up to Tahoe Yacht Club last Friday to see if I could find Andy after the skipper’s meeting, and recognized him instantly. We visited for a few minutes before he and Rick dashed off to prep the boat for the race. With high pressure hanging over the Tahoe basin, winds were light and shifty, and Lickety Split managed a respectable 5th out of a dozen boats.
The day before, Debbie and I snuck up for a wonderful afternoon sail in 12-15 knot winds to Sugar Pine State Park, where we dropped the hook in about 14 ft. and both went swimming for the first time this year. The water was about 70º F. at the surface, so we dove in and splashed around a bit before climbing back aboard to dry off under the shade of our makeshift “bimini.” The winds dropped off to just a breath later in the evening, so we took a leisurely motor along the shoreline looking at all the lovely homes and boats as the sun lowered in the sky. After all the wrenching on the boat earlier this year — including replacing the hard-to-find Lucas alternator just last week — it felt like we’d finally settled into our summer groove. We’re looking forward to more. Until then …
We’ve gotten in a few lively afternoon sails along the West Shore with winds in the 15-25 kt. range and temps in the 80s, so it really feels like summer is upon us here in the High Sierra. The lake level is high and it seems like there are fewer boats out, so you kinda feel like you have the place to yourself — which is just fine by me!
I’m making a point of revisiting a number Lake Tahoe classics this summer, including a yummy breakfast at The Old Post Office in Carnelian Bay with my pal Ancil, dinner with Debbie at Chambers Landing (also yummy and very family-friendly … just a lovely, laid-back Tahoe summer vibe), and one day just hanging out at the south end of Tahoe by Baldwin Beach with Ancil and our buddy John aboard La Crapaud. We anchored in 10 ft. and lolled about in the shade of the bimini for the whole day, sharing stories and watching the world go by. The Baldwin Beach area — tucked away in the extreme southwest corner of Lake Tahoe — is great for hanging out on the hook because the boat traffic is much further off shore as folks cut across from South Tahoe marinas to the must-see spot on the lake, Emerald Bay.
I rowed the dinghy in to shore at Baldwin and explored the wetlands, where evidently the Tahoe Yellow Cress is struggling to survive and efforts are being made to control invasive species as well. The water temp was about 67º F. on Ancil’s gauge, so I went for a swim in the shallows, then sat on the inflatable dinghy and dried off in the sun.
Later in the afternoon, we motored around Fannette Island in Emerald Bay just to bask in the grandeur of that amazing place before heading home for the night.
We’re planning on going boat camping once the 4th of July crowds thin, and I’m looking forward to watching the light change on the Sierra Nevada and the Milky Way to appear. Until then …
Sailing Lake Tahoe on a good old boat 